L.L. Bean has had a notoriously tough time keeping these quirky, efficient, and timeless shoes in stock, particularly after the shoes enjoyed a resurgence thanks to the rise of the heritage look. The upcoming winter season doesn't look any brighter; the legacy brand has already sold out of some styles, Bloomberg reports.
The company did not fill its back-orders from last year until this summer, Bloomberg adds.
The reason for the delay? L.L. Bean refuses to outsource workers, Bloomberg notes. The brand strictly adheres to its authentic roots.
"We realize we could outsource, but that will never happen," L.L. Bean spokesperson Mac McKeever said to Bloomberg. "The boots have been hand-sewn in Maine by our own skilled boot workers, and they always will be."
But the brand is still scrambling - it reportedly hired 100 extra bootmakers to expedite the process - as L.L. Bean expects to beat its explosive sales from last year and sell 500,000 boots this year, according to Bloomberg.
"We're making them literally as fast as we can," McKeever said to Bloomberg. "It's not something we can just stamp out."